


Flipped

by holdenscoffee (spacebarista)



Category: The Expanse (TV), The Expanse Series - James S. A. Corey
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Romance, Zero Gravity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 14:40:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7718725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacebarista/pseuds/holdenscoffee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Holden's got himself in an interesting position. Luckily, Amos and Alex don't find him first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flipped

**Author's Note:**

> First Expanse fic hollaaaaaaa. 
> 
> Nah I'm totally nervous about this thing. But Holden and Naomi mean so much to me their relationship is SO important that I HAD to write something! I had this idea about Holden getting stuck upside down in null-g and thought it would be cute to have Naomi find him first. Don't know how it turned out, but I love it, and I hope y'all will too. Takes place somewhere in the books/show after the coming together, so to speak, though they are based on show!Holden/Naomi in appearance.
> 
> Anywho, please review if you can, and enjoy! Thanks for reading!

_This day could not get any worse._

 

Holden had thought that at _least_ three times. The first two just brought further disaster to his day. He’d considered not thinking it again. The lack of wood to knock on in the _Roci_ made it tricky to avoid the curse that comes with assumptions or claims. So his day got worse.

 

First, the coffee machine turned off on its own. Then, his magboots malfunctioned. And… through actions of his own…

 

Holden ended upside down in zero g.

 

He sighs, grumbles for the millionth time. He glares at the coffee machine and crosses his arms. “You keep hurting me. Why do you keep hurting me?”

 

The coffee machine doesn't answer.

 

Holden huffs. He lets himself mope. It's childish, it's ridiculous. Yet it's the only thing that feels right. A headache is building in his temples. His ship is against him. The solar system is against him. Life sucks.

 

He hears the clunk of magboots on the deck, coming closer to the galley. The urge to scramble to right himself is squashed by the knowledge that doing so will _probably_ make his situation even worse—if not more embarrassing. He swallows, straightens as much as a man in his position can. He might as well take this with dignity. Amos and Alex would never let him live it down, not really. They might “oh, _sure_ , Captain” him, placate him as they turn him right side up. But next time they dock, they’ll be telling every woman in every bar how their idiot, pretty boy captain, the _famous_ James Holden, got himself stuck floating upside down having a tantrum over his coffee machine. It’d be all over the Belt in no time.

 

He can’t decide if Naomi finding him would be better or worse.

 

The boots get closer. Holden closes his eyes, counts to five. They pause outside the galley door.

 

“When you said you were going to make coffee, I didn’t imagine _this_ being part of the process.”

 

Holden squeezes his eyes shut tighter. _Naomi_. He takes another breath and blinks his eyes open, taking in the sight of his beautiful Belter girlfriend. His eyes are level with the center of her chest. Her arms are crossed as well, her hip cocked to the side, and her lips quirked in a smile that’s both amused and pitying.

 

“Oh, Jim,” she coos, taking his head in her long, thin, warm hands. Her thumbs trace along the line of his jaw. “What have you done to yourself this time?”

 

He can’t stop the slow grin, the calmness that settles over him when she’s so close to him. It still astounds him that their relationship feels this way. Of course he _knew_ one would eventually, that one day he’d be in something for more than the sex and affection. But the strength of what he has with Naomi, the stability and trust and partnership and _love_ … it still surprises him when they’re curled up together in the dark. When he wakes up in the morning and sees her asleep beside him. When they work together on the ops deck or share a meal in the galley.

 

_The galley_. The warmth in his chest evolves to a warmth in his face.

 

“I, uh…”

 

Naomi raises her eyebrows, waiting for a full response. Holden continues to sputter, knowing there’s no point in trying to be cool for his girlfriend when he’s stuck floating upside down. But something tells him to try anyway. Luckily, his super cool girlfriend saves him from both embarrassment and explanation. With a widened, wicked smile and a tilt of her head, Naomi leans forward and catches his lips with hers.

 

It takes a moment to get the hang of. Kissing someone while upside down is not something he does often. He prefers kissing the natural way. Prefers to wrap his arms around Naomi’s slim waist and pull her against him. Having her hand in his hair to keep him close. Brushing his nose against hers before pulling away. The little things that make him come back for more.

 

Those details are mostly impossible to replicate upside down in null-g. Not that he's complaining. He unfolds his arms, reaches out for her. It takes a moment to work through the awkward position to find some part of her to grab. But eventually he gets a hand between her arms and lays it on the side of her neck. She hums her approval against his lips, further deepens the kiss. Holden’s grateful Naomi is holding onto him. He’d likely get pushed into a bulkhead with even the slightest force in her kiss. Her blunt nails scratch at his scalp and his breath hitches. Emotion wells up in his chest. He loves her. He _loves_ her.

 

She finally pulls away, leans in again to press a kiss to his forehead as he breathes and breathes in the dueling scenes of soap and grease coming from her. Fingers card through his hair. It’s his turn to hum in satisfaction, and Naomi gives him another peck on the lips.

 

“Ready to talk, Captain?”

 

“After _that_?”

 

Naomi laughs, tugs gently on his hair. “ _That_ was because I think you’re cute when you’re embarrassed and speechless.”

 

“Probably not the best way to shock me back into reality,” he rumbles, earning a bemused eyeroll. His thumb traces over her tattoo as he thinks of where to start. “The coffee machine isn’t working again.”

 

Naomi snorts. “And you threw a tantrum.”

 

“I… I threw a _minor_ tantrum.”

 

“Jim, you’re upside down.”

 

“Hey,” he starts, trying to scowl in mock indignation, but failing as his own laughter breaks through. “It would have been less catastrophic if my magboots hadn’t failed.”

 

She hums thoughtfully, and her eyes grow distant as they shift to gaze up at his crossed legs. Already working through the problem, thinking of ways to fix things. He’s never told her, but he loves when she gets that look. Loves watching her solve problems in her head. He’s got the smartest girlfriend in the solar system, and no one can tell him otherwise. She nods to herself, hair bobbing with her head.

 

“I’ll take a look at them, once we get you down. What happened?”

 

“Well, you know. The coffee machine shut off again.”

 

“Uh huh.”

 

“And, you know. My boots weren’t working.”

 

“Yes. You said.”

 

“So… I… you know… I hit the table.”

 

“And flipped yourself upside down.” It’s not a question. A teasing smile lights Naomi’s lips.

 

“And flipped myself upside down, yeah.”

 

Another hum, and her dark eyes fall back to his face. Her fingers brushing through the hair at his temple grounds him. So to speak. His earlier embarrassment is long gone. Naomi makes him too comfortable to leave room for it. After a contemplative silence, Naomi finally sighs, amusement and exasperation loud and clear.

 

“You’re an idiot.”

 

“Yeah, I got that.”

 

It only takes a few moments for the both of them to get him right-side up. Her having grown up in less gravity probably exposed her to idiots like him before. He doesn’t bang his head on a table or anything. Her hands are gentle as she turns him, and he makes sure he doesn’t hold onto her too tightly, doesn’t get her off balance either. Not that it would affect her. She always moves like a ballerina in null-g. Once righted, Holden grips at the arms of her jumpsuit. It won’t do to drift away from her after all that. Naomi smiles at him, her own hands bunched up at his hips.

 

“Better?”

 

“Much,” Holden assures her, leaning in to kiss her. “Thank you for saving me.”

 

“Any time.” Naomi takes his hands, starts pulling him out of the galley. “Now, let’s get you to our cabin.”

 

Cabin? Holden tilts his head. “We could just fix my boots here, Naomi.”

 

“We could…” She shoots him a look over her shoulder, her lips quirked in a grin. “But then I couldn’t get you out of your jumpsuit too, and _my_ plans would be ruined.”

 

Oh. _Oh._

 

Holden clears his throat. “Right. Yeah. Can’t have any coffee yet anyway.”

 

“Nope.”

 

“So, might as well… pass the time.”

 

“Exactly my thinking, Captain. Pass the time.”

 

“Together?” He just wants to hear her say it. It’s all he ever wants to hear.

 

Naomi stops at their door, turns back to him and lets him bump into her chest. He grabs hold of her again and feels her do the same. Her smile is small and sweet and he’d kiss her again if he didn’t want to burn it into his memory.

 

“Wouldn’t want it any other way, would you?”

 

Holden chuckles, a deep rumble in his throat. “No, ma’am. Not at all.”

 

“Good,” she says with a nod, opening the door and spinning to push him inside. “Now get undressed. I don’t want you running out on me the _second_ that coffee machine comes on.”

 

_As if_ that _could ever happen_ , Holden thinks as she unzips her own jumpsuit. 

 

_This day could not get any better._


End file.
